Agent Dvr

Sodom's fans have argued to the teeth about whether 1987's Persecution Mania or 1989's Agent Orange is the German metal act's definitive record. Both stand right at the devil's crossroads of thrash and death metal, and both are brutally furious assaults on the senses. That said, the case can be made for Agent Orange being slightly superior for two reasons: first, the production on this set is better, hands down, thanks in large part to Harris Johns. The band had a bigger budget and was able to, with him at the helm, use exactly the same elements to make their sound fuller, heavier, and punishing – especially in the drum mix, which is just sheer blastbeat menace…

Secret Agent follows a by-now familiar pattern: a costume change, a re-shuffling of the cast, and a mix of songs that are individually impressive but collectively less so. The record ranges from life-some Latin jazz ("Central Park") to haunting Vangelis-like instrumentals ("Bagatelle #4"), with Chick Corea adding and subtracting instruments as the arrangements dictate. The steady forces behind the music include a new rhythm section (Tom Brechtlein and fretless bassist Bunny Brunel), familiar faces Gayle Moran and Joe Farrell, and a kicking horn section that gets a couple of well-deserved cameos.

German four-piece speed/thrash metal band, regarded as very influential to the modern black metal scene…

T. Rex - Futuristic Dragon (1976) {2CD Set Rhino Deluxe Edition R2 73288 rel 2002}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 736 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 250 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 211 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1976, 2002 Demon / Edsel / Rhino | R2 73288
Rock / Glam Rock

By the mid-'70s, Marc Bolan's T. Rex had fallen on hard times. Bolan, who remained the essential element in the band, began experimenting with soul/funk sounds and collaborating with his wife, singer Gloria Jones, with mixed results. While 1976's FUTURISTIC DRAGON didn't hit the charts as hard as T. Rex's earlier classics ELECTRIC WARRIOR, SLIDER, and TANX had, it finds Bolan back on track. "New York City" turned out to be one of Bolan's final U.K. hits before his untimely death one year later. Other highlights include the orchestrated instrumental "Theme for a Dragon," and the upbeat power pop of "Chrome Sitar."

As was the case with their very uneven career, Sodom's two-disc greatest-hitsset, Ten Black Years: The Best of Sodom, is not the sort of collection one can easily appreciate when heard from start to finish…

The fourth, fifth, and sixth box sets dedicated to compiling all of Depeche Mode's single releases were put out in 2004, 13 years after the first three originally appeared. All of these sets provide a convenience for hardcore fans since they provide each single in its own slim jewel case. Needless to say, those who bought the original singles as they were released will be flustered once again. The fourth set, covering 1987 through 1990, includes the "Strangelove," "Never Let Me Down Again," "Behind the Wheel," "Everything Counts (Live)," "Personal Jesus," and "Enjoy the Silence" singles. At this point in Depeche Mode's career, each A-side was being remixed several times over; when not filled out with live material or the occasional nonalbum track, the discs contain anywhere between a few and several alternate looks.

Marooned Live is the second live album in Sodom's career, and a fraction more substantial than its predecessor Mortal Way of Live, even if my enjoyment was not necessarily on par with that…

Marooned Live is the second live album in Sodom's career, and a fraction more substantial than its predecessor Mortal Way of Live, even if my enjoyment was not necessarily on par with that…

Although there are a multitude of box sets chronicling Bessie's entire recorded career, this two-disc, 36-song set sweats it down to the bare essentials in quite an effective manner. Bessie could sing it all, from the lowdown moan of "St. Louis Blues" and "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" to her torch treatment of the jazz standard "After You've Gone" to the downright salaciousness of "Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl." Covering a time span from her first recordings in 1923 to her final session in 1933, this is the perfect entry-level set to go with. Utilizing the latest in remastering technology, these recordings have never sounded quite this clear and full, and the selection - collecting her best-known sides and collaborations with jazz giants like Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, and Benny Goodman - is first-rate. If you've never experienced the genius of Bessie Smith, pick this one up and prepare yourself to be devastated.